Tax Payers in Scranton May Have Received Collection Notices They Did Not Deserve

More than 200 Scranton taxpayers may have received a letter from a collection agency that they did not deserve. The notices are for garbage fees that might have actually been paid. According to officials, the garbage bill for 2009 could be at fault for more than 200 collection notices sent to city taxpayers in error last week. That is what they believe.

They think the issue might be the way the bills were folded into the envelopes. The bill comes equipped with a perforated line above a bar code that identifies the consumer, but because a crease made by the folding of the envelope, a second line under the bar code was formed, causing people to rip the bill off without the bar code.

Bills that didn’t have a bar code would cause a bank not to register the payment. The mailing house that Scranton hired to fill the envelopes was seen at fault. If the bill was sent to the bank, it would be the pay stub in their payment that goes directly to a lock box. The stubs are then scanned and the bar code is read. After that the bank gives the town a list of those who had paid up based on the bar code readings.

Representatives from the debt collections company who sent out the collections notices allege that they are taking every dispute from people that may have paid very seriously. Company protocol allows consumers to dispute a notice within 30 days of receiving a bill. Also, representatives said that no bill will be collected while they are still sorting out the issue.

The company will look into every claim from people who said they had paid the bill and received the notice. Those that they determine have paid will be left alone.

Mallory Megan works for a debt collection company. Also she composes stories on business, finance, consumer spending and collection agencies.